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Call for Civil War Bluejackets Volunteers! Climb Aboard to Help Uncover New Details of Civil War Sailors

Readers may recall that some time back we alerted you to the new Civil War Bluejackets Project, which is exploring Civil War sailors through an examination of the recently digitised Ship’s Muster Rolls. Somewhere in the vicinity of 20% of these sailors were Irish-born. The project (which Damian of Irish in the American Civil War is working on) has now moved into the data gathering phase, with the launch this month on the Zooniverse Citizen Science platform of the transcription element. This calls for volunteers to become project Citizen Scientists and help to transcribe the Muster Rolls of these U.S. vessels that served through the war. If any of our readers are interested in participating, you can click here to go to the Zooniverse Project Page– and we are keen to spread the word far and wide! The project Press Release that went out in Ireland is included below if you would like to find out a bit more…

PRESS RELEASE: MAJOR NEW PROJECT TO REVEAL NEW INSIGHTS INTO ORDINARY IRISH 19TH CENTURY SAILORS IN THE U.S. NAVY

A major new research project involving historians and computer scientists will help tell the stories of ordinary United Sailors in the American Civil War in ways never before possible. The “Civil War Bluejackets” Project—so named because of the distinctive uniform worn by U.S. Civil War sailors—is a collaboration between Irish historians Professor David Gleeson and Dr Damian Shiels at Northumbria University, information and data scientists at the University of Sheffield and the University of Koblenz-Landau, and U.S. partners including the United States Naval Academy Museum. Funded by the UK Arts and Humanities Research Council, the project launches on 6 September 2022 with a call for citizen volunteers to help transcribe tens of thousands of Civil War “Muster Rolls”, documents that were carried on board U.S. ships and which capture the personal details of the c.118,000 men who fought on water for the Union between 1861 and 1865. The project team are making use of the online Zooniverse platform to share tens of thousands of these Muster Rolls, and are asking the public to help in revealing their contents. Principal Investigator (and Tipperary native) Professor David Gleeson of Northumbria University said:

“We are calling on “people-power” to help us tell the story of common sailors in the Civil War in a way never before possible. We estimate that some 20 percent of these men were born in Ireland, many more were the children of Irish emigrants. With your help, we aim to create a new freely available database of these men, and use the information generated by citizen scientists to explore the social and military experiences of these ordinary people in a way never before possible.”

As well as using public transcriptions to decipher the Muster Rolls, the team also hope to develop new software to allow computers to “read” 19th century hand-writing. Co-Investigator Dr Morgan Harvey of the University of Sheffield commented:

“By comparing the public’s transcriptions with the original 19th century hand-writing, we hope to “train” computers to assist in the reading and deciphering of historic documents, thereby creating a major new tool in the armoury of anyone interested in uncovering the past.”

Included among the stories the team hope to reveal are those of the thousands of Irish who departed these shores and ended up helping the U.S. battle the Confederacy on water. It will also examine the large numbers of others—including thousands of recently enslaved African Americans—who donned the U.S. Navy’s famous bluejacket during the conflict. Among the information the project aims to reveal are answers to questions such as where U.S. Civil War sailors came from, their background and what they did before they enlisted, how they lived and interacted on board, and what became of some of them in the years after the conflict.

Those interested in finding out more about the project can visit the www.civilwarbluejackets.com website, or go direct to the Zooniverse Civil War Bluejackets page at https://www.zooniverse.org/projects/bluejackets/civil-war-bluejackets.

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Published on September 30, 2022 09:07

Inked Inmates: The Tattoos of Military Prisoners at Clinton Prison, 1864-1865

Irish in the American Civil War has a long-standing interest in Civil War-era tattoos and markings. Brendan’s new post is the latest instalment in a series focused on the topic- you can check out some of the others via the links below:

Marked Men: The Tattoos of New York Irishmen, 1863

Scarred Men: The Disfigurements of New York Irishmen, 1863

Inked Irishmen: Irish Tattoos in 1860s New York

Marked Boys: The Tattoos of 19th Century Irish and Irish American Reformatory Inmates

In the new tattoo article, Brendan follows up his work on the tattoos of reformatory inmates with those of military prisoners at Clinton Prison, New York. His text is accompanied by a superb resource that Brendan has painstakingly compiled- the details of the tattoos of over 100 of these prisoners, together with information on where each was from. Read on to find out more!

The inmate admission ledgers from Clinton Prison in Dannemora, New York, which are housed at the New York State Archives, are a fascinating resource that include physical descriptions of thousands of people imprisoned there throughout parts of the nineteenth and twentieth century. While perusing them recently, I stumbled across something unexpected–from 1864-1865, the prison housed several hundred US military prisoners. They included deserters and other offenders from the Army and Navy and civilians convicted of crimes against the US military. The admission ledgers for these inmates often includes detailed descriptions of tattoos and other permanent marks. While the US Navy recorded such information in its rendezvous reports, the Army typically did not, so this seemed an exciting opportunity to learn more about the tattoos of Union soldiers in particular. I recorded the descriptions of all 103 tattooed men in the ledgers. Unfortunately, however, the unit or branch of service of these prisoners was not included, so I decided to dig into other records such as muster roll abstracts, enlistment registers, and even period newspapers to fill in as much of this information as I could.

Tattoo TypeNo. Examples Initials/Name34 Female Figure/Bust/Face22 Cross/Crucifix12 Anchor11 Shield/Coat of Arms10 Star8 Male Figure/Bust/Face6 Eagle5 Heart5 Ship5 Flag4 Goddess of Liberty4 Monument/Tombstone3 Wreath3 Memorial Inscription to Father2 Number2

Table 1. The Breakdown of Tattoos recorded on the military prisoners, and their relative numbers (Brendan Hamilton).

Tattoos can provide a fascinating glimpse into the hearts and minds of people–particularly working class people–from a bygone era. What did they deem important enough to permanently mark upon their bodies and what does this reveal about them? In many cases, soldiers’ and sailors’ tattooing decisions were driven by the fear that if they died in combat, their body would be unidentifiable. As a result, many of these men have their initials or name tattooed on them. But this alone does not explain all of the initials, since many clearly do not match the names of their bearers. In some cases, they may have been honoring spouses, lovers, parents, etc. For others it may be a sign that they were serving under an alias, and the initials were inked pre-war, recording a hint of their real names. Many also had images of women tattooed on them. While most of these are not described in detail, the tattoo of 1st Lt. Elbridge W. Guilford of the 1st Massachusetts Heavy Artillery was specifically a likeness of the famous Austrian ballerina Fanny Elssler. Crosses and crucifixes were popular as well.

[image error] Fanny Elssler, the ballerina depicted on the tattoo of 1st Lt. Elbridge W. Guilford. (Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery).

There are some rather unique examples of tattoos in the ledgers that really stuck out to me. One that might be of particular interest to our readers is the tattoo of a “hand” that Private Hugh Gribben, a veteran of the 68th Pennsylvania Infantry, displayed on his left arm. A postwar US Army enlistment record for Gribben reveals that he was a native of County Antrim. Could this hand have been a representation of the Red Hand of Ulster, the old heraldic symbol of Ireland’s northern province?

[image error] The-coat-of-arms of Hugh Gribben’s native County Antrim, which includes the Red Hand of Ulster. (Wikimedia-Commons). [image error] Admission ledger for Private Hugh Gribben, 68th Pennsylvania Infantry. (New York State).

In addition to regional pride, tattoos could also display pride in one’s vocation. Private Paul Stekle of the 1st New York Veteran Cavalry had a “bullock’s head” on his right arm. Stekle, a German immigrant who was a butcher in his civilian life, probably chose the image of a bull’s head because it was a symbol of butchers that was commonly used in trade signs over their shops. The anchor was, of course, a very commonly seen tattoo, and was frequently worn by men who were sailors either as civilians or in the US Navy. Pride in one’s military unit, branch, or combat arm was a likely motivation for many of the tattoos in these ledgers. Daniel O. Whitman of the 1st Connecticut Heavy Artillery had a tattoo of a “cannon shell” on the back of his left hand. And though shields and hearts were common motifs in period tattooing overall, it is worth noting that several of those in the ledgers with these tattoos were members of the 9th and 24th Union Army Corps, respectively. The corps symbol of the 9th Corps was a shield with a crossed cannon and anchor, while the 24th Corps’ symbol was a heart. Private Alfred T. Hardey of the 4th New Hampshire Infantry, which was part of the 24th Corps from the start of its formation in December 1864, went beyond wearing his heart on his sleeve. He had both a “heart” tattooed on his right hand and a “double heart” on his right arm.

[image error] A soldier wearing the distinctive heart-shaped badge of the Union 24th Corps on his hat, Appomattox Court House, Virginia April 1865 (detail). (Library of Congress).

Aside from the tattoos, I also included scars from combat wounds and other distinctive marks. Several of the prisoners convicted of desertion from the US Navy and Regular Army had evidently been branded on their right cheeks with the letter “D” for “deserter.” This brutal form of punishment not only inflicted pain on its victims, but permanently marked them with the evidence of their alleged crime, ensuring that the shame would follow them long after the war.

[image error] A piece of branded skin displayed alongside branding implements employed by the British military. (Army Medical Services Museum via Wikimedia Commons).

Whatever their reasons for getting them, these tattoos offer a truly fascinating glimpse into working class life in the mid-19th century. The table below provides readers with the full details of the more than 100 military prisoners who bore such markings at Clinton Prison, recording their name, age, birthplace, unit, occupation, crime, and finally, their tattoos.

NameAgeBirthplaceUnitOccupationCrimeTattooNotes Allison, Joseph22PennsylvaniaWoman and other marks on right arm, marks on left arm Arren, James21FloridaUnassigned substituteInk marks on left hand & wrist Ball, Edwin24MaineDesertionWoman on right arm Beatty, Franklin20PennsylvaniaAbsence without LeaveAnchor & "F.B." on right arm Bendell, Lewis43GermanyCitizenSelling Citizens' Clothes to Soldiers"C.B." & "E.B." on right arm Bradley, Frederick F.24CanadaUnassigned substituteEngineerDesertionWoman on right arm Brown, William28New YorkDesertionGoddess of Liberty on left arm Buchanan, John22DelawareScar caused by ball on left arm above elbow. "N.B." & "J.B. E.D.S.S." Lark spot (?) near waist. Burns, Thomas17New YorkDesertionCross, 2 letters on right arm Burwell, Alexander21Wardsville, Ontario, Canada12th NY Indep. Btty. Light Art. (prior 26th & 86th NY)LaborerDesertionInk on left arm Cahill, John24New YorkCitizenBounty BrokerForging Certificates of Enlistment"J.C.," anchor, and star on right arm Callahan, Alex O.21West Virginia7th WVDesertion"A.D.O.C." on left arm Carroll, Phillip31Ireland2nd MA Heavy Art.DesertionInk marks on both arms Clancy, Thomas28IrelandTheftCross on left arm Clark, Horace45Troy, NYPassing Counterfeit U.S. NotesEagle & star on left arm Colligan, Peter18New York, NY15th NY Eng.Stone Cutter"P.C." on left arm Conners, John18ConnecticutStar on right hand, "J.J.M.C." on right arm, "In Memory of the Father" on left arm Cosgrove, Joseph29Baltimore, MDConspiracy &c"O.U.I." on left arm Covart, Lewis H.24Yates Co., NY2nd NY Vet. Cav. (prior 1st NY Art.)FarmerDesertionInk marks on right arm Devoe, Delivan22Turin, NY186th NY (prior 14th NY)PainterDesertionFlag with one star, woman to right of it on right arm, flag surrounded by female head and wreath on front of wrist, monument with inscriptions on the base, "In Memory of my Father" on left arm above elbow, large star & small star between thumb & forefinger Divilin, James25New YorkCitizenBounty BrokerForging Certificates of EnlistmentInk marks on wrist and hands Donaghue, Cornelius27IrelandCross, anchor, and shield on left arm Donovan, Jeremiah D.17Boston, MAUS NavyLarcenyAnchor & cross, "J. + B." enclosed in a heart, "J.M." in ink on right arm, star on right hand, 2 crosses on left arm Doran, John22ConnecticutAiding DesertionSailor, ship, and flag in red & black ink on right arm Duane, Jeremiah20Ireland2nd US Art.Soldier"J.D." & small cross in red ink on right arm Dunlap, Edward24Pennsylvania48th NYDesertionShield on left arm Finfrock, George49Pennsylvania12th VRC (prior 9th PA Cav.)Cigar MakerInk marks on both arms Flynn, James23IrelandEagle on left hand, two men sparring on breast Friedley, John26Switzerland30th MALaborerMisbehavior Before the EnemyAnchor on left arm Frye, Lewis J.25Pennsylvania3rd USLaborer"L.E.F." on left arm Gallix, James17Massachusetts9th PA Cav.Violation of the 50th Article of WarAnchor on right arm, man on left arm Geistwhite, Abram28Pennsylvania93rd PADesertionHeart & dagger on left breast, name on right arm & other marks in ink Gibbon, Samuel W.21Ohio23rd IN Light Art.Name on right arm, "C.R. Gibson" on left arm Gibson, William H.15Newark, NJ2nd US (prior 10th NY, US Navy)SailorViolation of the 50th Article of WarCoat of arms on left arm, "W.H.J." on right arm.Alias "William H. Gillson" or "William H. Jillson" Gribben, Hugh20Antrim, Ireland68th PAAiding & Enticing Men to DesertAnchor on right hand, hand on left armPostwar service in US regulars, birthplace given as Antrim Guilford, Elbridge W.35Randolph, MA1st MA Heavy Art.BootmakerDesertion & Forgery2 sisters & eagle on right arm, man & woman, ship, Fanny Esler [sic, Elssler] on left arm Haffey, Billy16Albany Co., NYConspiracy &c"X" on left hand Haley, Patrick21Ireland192nd NYLaborer"P.H." on right arm Hanley, Frederick20GermanyDesertionCross on left arm Hardey, Alfred T.22New Hampshire4th NHFarmerDouble heart on right arm, heart on right hand Harrison, William25New YorkRobberyInk marks on right arm Harrison, William H.25PennsylvaniaUS Navy?Dots in ink on both arms Henratty, James22MarylandEnticing Soldiers to DesertSmall rude figue of a man in blue India ink on right arm just above wrist Higgins, John17New YorkDesertionInk marks on left arm Jones, William B.48New YorkDesertionShip on breast, two ships on back, cruxifix & man on left arm, saber cut on right hand Kendrick, Frank42EnglandViolation of the 9th Article of WarWoman on both arms Lamphere, Benjamin38New YorkDesertion"J.H.L." on left arm, "J.E.L.," woman, "S.L.," profile of woman on right arm Lawrence, William A.23Ohio67th OH?LarcenyName in ink on right arm, small finger of right hand off Levy, Raphael31Prussia (or Poland)30th MAMerchantMisbehavior in the Presence of the Enemies"R.L." on left arm Lindsey, Alex29New York, NY16th NY Cav. (possible prior service, 53rd NY)TinsmithEagle & shield in red & black ink on right arm, man & woman in red & black ink on right arm Lloyd, Francis19IrelandDesertion"F.L." on right arm Marks, Oscar25Pennsylvania12th PA Cav.Marks & figures on both arms, woman on right foot Marshall, William H.27Huntington, PA3rd US Cav (prewar Regt of Mounted Riflemen)SoldierDesertionName on right arm, letter "D" branded on right cheek Mayne, James21Oswegatchie, NY2nd Btn VRC (prior 106th NY)FarmerLarceny"J.M." & eagle on left arm McAdams, James18IrelandDesertionFigures "3" & "7" on left arm McGuigen, James23IrelandUS NavySeamanDesertionBranded "D" on right cheek, anchor & star on left arm, "J.A.L.Mc." (or "Jas McG?") on right arm McMahon, Thomas18IrelandWoman on both arms, crucifix on right arm McNeil, John47New YorkAssuming to be a Government OfficerInk marks on both arms Montgomery, James S.31Pennsylvania12th PA Cav.MurderIndistinct marks in India ink near wrist of left arm, scar by a knife 4 or 5 inches long on back of neck, first joint of right hand little finger & left hand thumb gone Mullen, Henry27Tyrone, Ireland15th NY Eng.LaborerDesertion"H.M." on right arm Murdock, William R.24New York170th NYSeamanSailor's tombstone & ship on right arm, woman's head on left armAlias "William R. Brown" Murphy, Phillip23Vermont2nd Btn VRC (prior 111th NY)LarcenyInk marks on right arm, shot wound through left hand Murphy, William M.25Ireland79th NYLaborerDesertionShield on right arm Nevins, Frederick H.39Pownal, ME32nd ME (prior 17th ME & US Navy)MarinerAnchor on left arm, anchor on right hand, "T.H.N." on left arm Nichols, William H.32New Hampshire4th NHDesertionHeart on left arm Parker, E.J.29PennsylvaniaFraud"E.J.P." on left arm, anchor on right arm Pearsons, Henry47England28th NY Indep. Btty Light Art.DesertionAnchor on right arm Ploss, William H.27New York, NY127th NY (& US Navy?)SailorFemale head & bust on right arm above elbow, American coat of arm and female holding a wreath overhead on right arm below elbow, sailor holding a flag on left arm above elbow, Goddess of Liberty, French officer, & female head & bust on left arm below elbow, representation of a woman on front of left leg Reed, William26Quebec, CanadaStriking his Superior OfficerInk marks on right arm Reynolds, Charles21IrelandHighway RobberyCrucifix & woman on right arm, Goddess of Liberty on right arm Richardson, Thomas23Brooklyn, NY5th NY Vet. (prior 84th NY, "14th Brooklyn")ClerkAbsence without LeaveInk marks on right arm, end of first finger of right hand off Roberts, Daniel25Lowell, MA9th NHFarmerDesertionShield on right arm, woman on right arm Rose, Franklin W.27Buffalo, NY180th NY?Desertion"A.E.J." on right arm, shield on right arm, fox, 2 chickens, "M.E.M." on left arm Rose, John18Tipperary, Ireland165th NYSailorSleeping on PostFigures "5" "V" "11" (?) on left arm Rounds, George25Maine1st ME Heavy Art.Scar of ball on right wrist. Heart on left arm. Russ, Charles E.22Albany, NY193rd NY (prior 3rd NY & 31st NY)Desertion"C.E.R." on right arm, "C.E.R." + "E.J.S." on left arm, stars on left arm Russel, Frank21New YorkInk marks on both arms Russells, Levi21CanadaHabitual StragglingTwo "+" crosses on left arm Seaback, William22GermanyCitizenAiding soldiers to desertInk marks on back of left hand Sharp, Leonard22PennsylvaniaBurglaryInk marks on both arms Sherwood, William22MarylandInk marks on both arms Shields, James23IrelandDesertionDancing girl on right arm below elbow, crucifiction on left arm below elbow Smith, Harry29Holland170th NYSailorDesertion3 women on right arm, ship on back of right hand, star near thumb on left arm, 2 women, flag, star near thumb Smith, William48PennsylvaniaAbsence without Leave, Assault with Intent to Kill"J.B." on right arm Snow, Jesse H.22New Brunswick, Canada7th ME, 1st ME Vet."J.H.S." on left arm Spade, William22PennsylvaniaLetter "I" on left arm Sprowl, George W.19Pennsylvania202nd PA?Shield on left arm, ink marks on right arm Stekle, Paul40Germany1st NY Vet. Cav.ButcherTheftBullock's head in paint on right armAlso borne as "Stickler" Stewart, Joshua26Liverpool, England1st US Cav.Farmer2 women on each arm Summers, Oliver19Pennsylvania51st PALaborerCowardiceMarks in ink on left arm Taylor, Dorsey26MarylandHolding Unauthorized Interviews with the Enemies of the U.S."D.T." on right arm Taylor, George22England8th IL Cav.CarpenterInk on breast & both arms Taylor, William23England8th IL Cav.MutinyMonument on breast, woman on right arm Thiel, Nicholas22New York4th OH Cav.?Likeness of lady & band around wrist on right arm Thomas, John H.22MarylandAiding & Abetting in Desertion"W.R.A." on right arm, shield on left arm Vittaly, Joseph23New Jersey146th NY (prior 5th NY)Goddess of Liberty on left arm Wallace, Edward16New YorkDesertionInk marks on left arm Wells, Frederick B.27Maine90th NYBoatmanAbsence without LeaveInk marks on left arm Welsh, John24AustraliaDesertionCrucifix & cross on right arm Whitman, Daniel O.20Connecticut1st CT Heavy Art.DesertionWoman & wreath on right arm, coat of arms on left arm, cannon shell on back of hand Wilson, John38New YorkCrucifix on right arm Wilson, Lance L.29VirginiaCitizen (formerly 2nd VA, CSA)WorkmanAiding & Assisting Deserters"J.P.M.," "L.L.W.," & woman on right arm Worman, Henry20Pennsylvania58th PAMan & woman on left arm

Table 2. Compiled list of Clinton Prison military inmates with tattoos, drawn from multiple sources (Brendan Hamilton)

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Published on August 31, 2022 05:49

Andersonville Irish Spotlight: Thomas O’Dea, The Clare Emigrant Who Immortalised Andersonville in Art. Part 1- Imagery.

The next series of Andersonville Irish Spotlight posts will share some of the results from work we carried out during the Andersonville Irish Project trip to the National Historic Site. It was a visit facilitated by grant funding from the Andersonville POW Research Grant Program made possible thanks to the Friends of Andersonville, as well as project funding received from the Consulate General of Ireland in Atlanta. This post is the first of two focusing on the work and life of one of the most influential Irish emigrants to pass through Andersonville- the soldier turned artist, Clareman Thomas O’Dea. Still just a teenager when he passed through the walls of the prison in 1864, twenty years later Thomas completed a monumental illustration of the camp as he remembered it. When published, it became a national sensation. To this day, it remains the most recognisable (and most used) artistic depiction of Andersonville Prison.

The next post will focus on the details of Thomas’s service and the rather remarkable process by which he created his famed work. Suffice to say here that he intended for the illustration to depict the camp as it was on 1st August 1864, the beginning of the prison’s deadliest month. Below we introduce ourselves to O’Dea’s achievement by taking a detailed look at the image itself. There is a particular focus on sharing detailed views of the small vignettes he surrounded his depiction with, elements that are every bit as striking as the representation of the camp itself.

[image error] Thomas O’Dea’s depiction of Andersonville Prison on display at the National Prisoner of War Museum, Andersonville National Historic Site. The primary focus of the image is the camp and immediate environs, with a series of numbered vignettes added around the edges, finishing with a depiction of the artist himself. [image error] The main camp as Thomas O’Dea depicted it. The main focus of the image, it is remarkable in it’s detail, with dozens of clearly discernible scenes taking place both within and without the camp. If you are interested in viewing an exceptionally high resolution version of this image, you can do so at the Library of Congress website here . [image error] O’Dea created a number of detailed vignettes of life and death in the camp to surround his image. In a written work to accompany the image, he often added further detail about what each depicted. This image shows the burial of the dead in the cemetery, carried there stacked on a wagon “the same as cord wood”. Click image to Enlarge. [image error] O’Dea’s second vignette depicts a prisoner being shot at the “Dead Line” the point (marked by the wooden rail) beyond which those incarcerated at Andersonville could not cross. Here a man is shown shot down while trying to reach beyond the Dead Line to get some fresh water. Click image to Enlarge. [image error] The third vignette, to my mind one of the most emotive, depicts a dying prisoner’s final thoughts as he gazes on a photo of his family, and imagines them at home as he breathes his last. Click image to Enlarge. [image error] This vignette is aimed at showing the different diseases that afflicted those in Andersonville, variously Scurvry (1), Diarrhoea and Dysentry (2), Gangrene (3), Dropsy (4) and Fever (5). Click image to Enlarge. [image error] Cooking rations at Andersonville using wood chips to make “mush” or when “baking the cake”. Click image to Enlarge. [image error] The execution of the “Andersonville Raiders” inside the prison compound following their trial and sentencing by fellow prisoners- an event that lived long in the memory of everyone who witnessed it. The Co. Wexford-born priest, Father Peter Whelan, “Angel of Andersonville”, is shown behind the condemned men praying for their immortal souls. Click image to Enlarge. [image error] This vignette represents the efforts of prisoners to salvage logs from the stockade that had been broken away during flooding that followed a violent storm. The Confederate guards afterwards managed to recover most of the logs and place them back in the palisade. Click image to Enlarge. [image error] Various tunnels were dug within Andersonville by the prisoners; some of the holes were likely attempted wells, but others were designed to burrow beneath the stockade to freedom, as with this example. Click image to Enlarge. [image error] Prisoners who have successfully tunnelled under the stockade emerge into the open beyond to attempt to make their escape. Few such efforts were successful. Click image to Enlarge. [image error] Escaped Andersonville prisoners are run to ground by bloodhounds, animals that were also frequently employed to hunt down enslaved people seeking to flee to safety. Click image to Enlarge. [image error] The camp commandant, Swiss-emigrant Henry Wirz, shown with some of the bloodhounds used at Andersonville. Wirz would later be executed in Washington D.C. In the foreground is “Spot”, who was famously photographed just after the war, an image which O’Dea likely drew on for this depiction. Click image to Enlarge. [image error] The forms of punishment meted out at Andersonville. From left to right, the stocks, the buck and gag, the ball and chain, hanging by the thumbs. Click image to Enlarge. [image error] The process of distributing rations at Andersonville. The prisoners were grouped in messes to aid in the distribution of food; here one such is mess is gathered to collect the food they have been allocated. Click image to Enlarge. [image error] “Providence Spring” was a water source that was said to have emerged almost miraculously when the situation in the camp was most dire. It was later a site of pilgrimage by survivors and is today the site of one of the most significant memorials at Andersonville. Here prisoners wait their turn to avail of the water from the spring. Click image to Enlarge. [image error] The desperate men in camp were often kept going by regular rumours that an exchange was in the offing, a transfer of prisoners that would allow them to go home. Invariably the rumours proved to be false. Here O’Dea depicts men excitedly sharing news of yet another mooted exchange. Click image to Enlarge. [image error] Those who perished within the confines of the prison overnight were taken to the gate for the collection the next morning. Here O’Dea depicts such a scene, as the bodies await the cemetery cart. Click image to Enlarge. [image error] The “Angel of Andersonville”, Father Peter Whelan from Foulksmills, Co. Wexford, prays over the dead and dying. Click image to Enlarge. [image error] Justice holds the scales. A list of POW camps (including Andersonville) is outweighed by the scale filled with Bonds. Click image to Enlarge. [image error] The title script from O’Dea’s illustration, outlining what and when is depicted, the particulars of the artist, and the dedication. Click image to Enlarge. [image error] Thomas O’Dea’s self portrait and signature on his Andersonville depiction. The next post will examine the background of this Famine-era emigrant from Clare, and the process by which he produced his remarkable artwork. Click image to Enlarge.

References

Thomas O’Dea’s Drawing of the Andersonville Prison. Library of Congress. (See a Coloured Version at the Digital Library of Georgia here).

O’Dea, Thomas. 1887. History of O’Dea’s Famous Picture of Andersonville.

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Published on August 23, 2022 04:19

“Through:” The Emigrant Hamiltons of Tyrone. Part 2. “Roughs, Bowery Boys, Dead Rabbits”- The Formation of Kerrigan’s Rangers

This is the second part in a series of articles by myself and several guest contributors, chronicling the lives of several related Hamilton emigrants from County Tyrone. While Part 1 explored the emigration and early career of William Hamilton, Part 2 explores the leadership and enlisted members of the regiment he enlisted in during the American Civil War, the 25th New York Infantry. What emerges is a rogues gallery of real life “Gangs of New York” figures.

On 26th August 1861, the acclaimed Irish war correspondent Sir William Howard Russell witnessed an inspection of the Union Army of the Potomac near Washington, DC. The army had just recently been reorganized under the command of Major General George B. McClellan from the remnants of Brigadier General Irvin McDowell’s forces that met with calamity at Bull Run the previous month. “After some ordinary movements,” Russell recorded, “the march past took place, which satisfied me that the new levies were very superior to the three months’ men, though far, indeed, from being soldiers. Finer material could not be found in physique.” Russell, who had previously observed the Crimean War, went so far as to proclaim that “no division of the ordinary line, in any army, could show a greater number of tall, robust men in the prime of life.” There was one regiment, however, that stood in stark contrast to this observation:

an assemblage of miserable scarecrows in rags and tatters, swept up in New York and commanded by a Mr. Kerrigan….A soldier standing near me, pointing out Kerrigan’s corps, said, ‘The boy who commands that pretty lot recruited them first for the Seceshes in New York, but finding he could not get them away he handed them over to Uncle Sam.’ The men were silent as they marched past, and did not cheer for President or Union.

The “miserable scarecrows” Russell observed were members of the 25th New York Volunteer Infantry, alternately known as Kerrigan’s Rangers or the Union Rangers. Among them marched my great great grandfather, a thirty-year-old immigrant from County Tyrone named William Hamilton. Theirs was an inauspicious beginning for a unit whose haggard survivors would, less than two years later, return to New York as battle-hardened veterans. (1)

[image error]Col. James E. Kerrigan, Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper, 4 Jan 1862, based on a sketch by Dublin-born artist Arthur Lumley.

The 25th New York was recruited in New York City in the spring of 1861. One officer in their division wrote that the regiment was “composed of New York roughs, Bowery boys, ‘Dead Rabbits,’ etc.” While this characterization likely leaned on rumors and over-generalizations, an examination of the formation of the 25th reveals that it was not entirely off base. The unit’s first commander, Colonel James E. Kerrigan, was himself a former leader of an Irish-American New York street gang called the Molly Maguires and a suspected accessory to the murder of the notorious William “Bill the Butcher” Poole. The son of Irish immigrants, Kerrigan attended Fordham University for a stint before leaving at the age of seventeen to fight in the Mexican-American War. Upon his return to New York City, he became a volunteer fireman and worked as a “short-boy,” or political thug, for Tammany-affiliated Democrats before being elected to city council in 1853. Kerrigan took a break from local politics to join William Walker’s filibustering campaign in Nicaragua. He returned again to lead the Molly Maguires, who battled with axes, clubs, and guns against rival gangs the Bowery Boys and the Mulberry Street Boys in a series of polling place melees over political control of the city’s Sixth Ward, home to the famous Five Points neighborhood. Kerrigan was even a key player in the famous “Dead Rabbits Riot” of 1857. (2)

[image error]Illustration of the Dead Rabbit Riots, Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper, 18 July 1857. Library of Congress.

By the time of the Secession Crisis, Kerrigan had cast his lot with Mayor Fernando Wood’s Mozart Hall wing of the Democratic party. Elected to US Congress in 1860, he quickly made waves for his pro-slavery, secessionist sympathies. In December 1860, Kerrigan put out an ad in the New York Herald all but calling for New York City’s militia units to support the Confederate cause should a civil war occur. For this act, he was later hauled before a grand jury as part of a treason investigation, but he denied any wrongdoing and was ultimately released without being charged with any crime. The firing on Fort Sumter heavily influenced the opinions of New Yorkers on the Secession issue, transforming many sympathetic, pro-slavery Democrats into “War Democrats” who strongly sided with the Union cause. While it appears that Kerrigan fit into that category, his previous actions gave his fellow Unionists plenty of reason to question his intentions–-and the loyalties of his men–when he decided to recruit his own regiment for Federal service in April 1861. (3)

James Kerrigan was not, by any means, the only officer in the 25th New York with a shady background. The regiment’s first major, George Mountjoy, deserted in July 1861 and fled to Canada in an attempt to escape criminal charges related to his role in a city government corruption scandal. Captain Michael Norton, a Roscommon-born policeman, Tammany Hall politician, and sometime prizefighter, commanded Company D, or the “Eighth Ward Rangers.” Norton, who went by the nicknames “Crow” and “Thunderbolt,” was employed as a special policeman specifically assigned to the theater and concert hall at 444 Broadway by 1860. It was probably no coincidence that this location–which was notorious for its rumored connections to prostitution–was one of the first recruitment locations for the 25th New York. Norton left the police force after the war to manage multiple saloons, including a Coney Island pavilion that was itself known as a locus of prostitution, gambling, and prizefighting. He also became famous for aiding in Tammany leader William “Boss” Tweed’s 1876 escape from prison. (4)

[image error]2nd Lieut. Theodore “The” Allen, postwar image printed in the New York World.

Company D’s first lieutenant was Cyrus Shay, a well-known member of the Bowery Boys gang and rival to Kerrigan and the Molly Maguires in the pre-war years. Brother-in-law and close friend of “Bill the Butcher” Poole, Shay operated a dance house, where, according to one contemporary preacher’s sermon, “every decency [was] forgotten, and all sense of propriety and shame ignored.” Second Lieutenant Theodore “The” Allen, was another Bowery Boy and associate of “Bill the Butcher.” Allen came from a prominent Methodist family in upstate New York but moved to New York City as a young man. Starting out as a professional burglar, he eventually headed his own crime family and ran at least half a dozen Manhattan dance halls, brothels, saloons, and gambling dens. Allen became so infamous–and elusive to law enforcement–that city authorities came to refer to him as “The Wickedest Man in New York.” (5)

The Rangers’ regimental chaplain, Thomas Blades de Walden, was not, by any indication, a clergyman. The white-bearded English immigrant was instead a prolific playwright whose works featured prominently at the Bowery Theatre. His comical plays, like The Upper Ten and the Lower Twenty, often involved streetwise working class people outwitting members of the educated upper crust. They were wildly popular and would undoubtedly have been familiar to many of the 25th’s recruits. Robert Johnston, First Lieutenant of Company A (the “Tenth Ward Rangers”) was a tragedian and the stage director at the Bowery Theatre. Johnston and de Walden’s ties to this famous venue likely explains why it served as the other headquarters and recruiting station for the Union Rangers. The new recruits’ first attempts at drilling may have happened on or around the very stage where de Walden’s plays had been performed, and where many of them had spent innumerable raucous evenings out with their pals. (6)

[image error]The Bowery Theatre, early headquarters to the Union Rangers, ca 1860. Internet Archive.

As I mentioned in the previous post, I don’t know what drew cartman/fireman William Hamilton to this particular regiment, but it could have been a number of factors, including connections with friends or family, overlap with places of entertainment he frequented, or even a common link to the firefighting world. The 25th New York included a multitude of volunteer firemen among its officers and enlisted men. 1st Lieutenant Edward A. Willoughby, of William Hamilton’s Company H, was an Irish immigrant butcher and eatery proprietor who served in Lady Washington Engine Company No. 40. Atlantic Hose Company, No. 15, the successor company to that in which James E. Kerrigan served during the mid-1850s, also produced a number of Union Rangers, including Kerrigan’s brother, Second Lieutenant George Kerrigan, and Sergeant Henry B. Clark. (7)

A closer look at the rank-and-file of the regiment also reveals some clues into Hamilton’s link to the Union Rangers. Unfortunately, the descriptive rolls for most of this regiment no longer exist. To supplement this information, I used the soldiers’ names and ages, combined with information from pension filings, to locate as many as I could in the 1860 US Census. This in turn revealed their occupations, neighborhoods, birth places, and other details about them not available in the surviving military records. Approximately 52% of the Rangers I found were foreign-born, with Irish natives constituting the majority of those at 37% of the regiment overall. Immigrants from modern day Germany come in at a distant second, representing about 6% of the regiment. England and Scotland were also represented in the 25th’s ranks, as well as a smattering of immigrants from France, Canada, Poland, and Cuba. And, judging by the surnames of many of the native-born, many (if not most) were likely first generation children of immigrants. (8)

[image error]George Henry Hall, “A Dead Rabbit” or “Study of an Irishman,” 1858. Wikicommons.

The soldiers of the 25th New York came from all over Manhattan, as well as Brooklyn, Queens, and other parts of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. There were also at least ten recruits who lived in Massachusetts at the time of the 1860 Census. New York City’s 9th Ward (the modern day West Village neighborhood) where William Hamilton lived immediately prior to his enlistment, appears to be the most represented ward in the regiment, accounting for about 9% the regiment’s enlistees. The 14th Ward, just north of Five Points and bordered to the east by Bowery, brought in about 8%, while the 20th Ward, or Hell’s Kitchen, where William Hamilton lived in the 1860 Census, represented about 7%. (9)

The Rangers were primarily urban and working class. The most common occupation given was simply “laborer.” Clerks, cartmen, butchers, sailors, and machinists were also heavily represented, and there were a handful of farm laborers who came to New York from the surrounding countryside to enlist. At least 10% of the regiment’s enlisted men (excluding musicians) were underage recruits who presumably lied about their ages to be accepted into the unit. I previously wrote about one such soldier, Richard Ewing, in this article. Many of these young soldiers came from the suburbs and countryside, possibly as runaways, and at least eight of them employed aliases to conceal their true identities. One boy even travelled all the way from Ohio before enlisting in the 25th. Other young enlistees were recent inmates at the New York House of Refuge and the Five Points House of Industry, and included petty thieves and vagrants who had been caught sleeping out on the city’s streets and under its docks. (10)

The gangsters and corrupt city politicians at the core of the Union Rangers’ organization quickly proved ill-suited for military leadership. After arriving in the defenses around Washington, DC, in the summer of 1861, their regiment was so rowdy and disorganized that the military brass contemplated disbanding it entirely. In the next article, I will examine the 25th New York’s discipline and supply issues, the court martial of Colonel Kerrigan, and the reorganization of the regiment under a more competent cadre of officers.

Notes and References

Russell, William Howard, My Diary North and South (Vol. 1).

Anbinder, Tyler, Five Points.

Ibid.

1860 US Federal Census, “Justice Norton is Dead,” The Sun, 24 April 1889, Ross, Greggory M., “Boxing in the Union Blue: A Social History of American Boxing in the Union States During the Late Antebellum and Civil War Years,” Phalen, William J., Coney Island, “The Union Rangers,” “How Sex Sold Songs in New York’s Early Theater Days,” Bedford + Bowery, New York Daily Tribune, 22 April 1861.

“Various Items,’ Pittsfield Sun, 22 March 1855, “The Rowdies of New York,” Daily Dispatch, 30 March 1855, Forsyth, Owen, “Theodore Allen – The Allen,” The Irish Mob, Asbury, Herbert, The Gangs of New York, “‘The’ Allen’s Mind Failing,” The World, 7 Oct. 1902.

“de Walden, Thomas Blades (1811-1873),” The Vault at Pfaff’s (Lehigh University), Wemyss, Francis Courtney, Wemyss’ Chronology of the American Stage, “The Union Rangers,” New York Daily Tribune, 22 April 1861. Johnston’s first notable stage appearance was his 1847 performance at Baltimore’s Front Street Theatre as Iago in “Othello.” The lead role, incidentally, was played by Junius Brutus Booth, father of John Wilkes Booth.

Costello, Augustine E., Our firemen. A History of the New York Fire Departments, Annual Report of the Chief Engineer of the Fire Department, 1862

1860 US Federal Census, New York Civil War Muster Roll Abstracts, Trow’s Directory, US Civil War Pension Index. I have so far been able to find Census details for 334 of the approximately 1,000 members of the regiment, which provides a decent size sample. One potential flaw in this method is the fact that native-born Americans may have been easier to locate with confidence in the Census due to a higher likelihood of having middle initials and less common given names than Irish immigrants. Consequently, Irish immigrants may be underrepresented in the resulting figures.

1860 US Federal Census, New York Civil War Muster Roll Abstracts, Trow’s Directory, US Civil War Pension Index.

1860 US Federal Census, New York Civil War Muster Roll Abstracts, Trow’s Directory, US Civil War Pension Index, New York House of Refuge Case Histories

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Published on July 31, 2022 02:10

Combat Morale Podcast: The Irish Fighting for the Union Army in the U.S. Civil War

A while back I (Damian) did an interview with Dr Tom Thorpe for his Combat Morale Podcast, which explores why combatants in different wars enlist, fight and serve. I managed to miss it when it was released, but if you want to catch up with my chat with Tom on the reasons behind Irish service in Union blue, you can do so below, or check it out on Tom’s website here:

https://combatmoralepod.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/S1E15-Dr-Damien-Shiels-The-Irish-fighting-for-the-Union-Army-in-the-US-Civil-War.mp3

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Published on July 22, 2022 00:51

Special Crossfire Issue on Irish in the American Civil War

Although American Civil War Roundtables are widespread in the United States, they are much thinner on the ground across the Atlantic. Somewhat surprisingly, despite the scale of Irish involvement in the conflict, there is no dedicated group in Ireland that explores the Civil War. But this is not the case in the UK. The American Civil War Roundtable UK has been in operation there since 1953, with a vibrant membership and calendar of events. As well as exploring the war in general terms, the UK Roundtable also does a great job examining British and Irish connections to the conflict. Indeed, if you are a reader in Ireland with an interest in the conflict, we would encourage you to explore membership of the Roundtable (which you can do here).

Among the Roundtable’s outputs is the magazine Crossfire. Not long ago, the Roundtable approached Professor David Gleeson (the leading historian of the Irish in the South and the Confederacy) and us here at Irish in the American Civil War to see if we would be interested in guest editing a special Irish issue of Crossfire. We were delighted to do so, and to be joined by some of the leading scholars of the Irish experience of the conflict. With the permission of the Roundtable we can now share the special issue with readers (you can also catch it over at the Civil War Bluejackets Project page). You can read and download the issue below – we are extremely grateful to all those who gave their time to contribute. To give you a flavour of what you will find in it’s pages, here is a list of the pieces inside:

Special Issue: The Irish in the Civil War – David T. Gleeson & Damian Shiels

The Place, Performance and Production of Irish American Civil War Songs – Catherine Bateson

Fenianism in History & Memory – Ryan W. Keating

Reverend Thomas Scully, Chaplain of the 9th Massachusetts – William Kurtz & Fr. David Endres

Father Sheeran’s Lost Cause: A Civil War Chaplain Finds a Home – Patrick J. Hayes

Denizens of Pandemonium: Wilson’s Zouaves at the Battle of Santa Rosa Island – Brendan Hamilton

The Civil War Bluejackets Project: New Insights into Irish, British & African American Sailors – David T. Gleeson & Damian Shiels

Captain John Dooley of Richmond – David T. Gleeson

Irish Louisianians in the Army of Northern Virginia – David T. Gleeson

An Irish Geordie in the American Civil War & Tyneside’s Memorial Day Remembrance – Damian Shiels

Crossfire Issue 128 Download

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Published on June 19, 2022 03:21

“Through:” The Emigrant Hamiltons of Tyrone. Part 1. William Hamilton, Tyrone Emigrant to New York City Fireman

This is the first part in a series of articles by myself and several guest contributors, chronicling the lives of several related Hamilton emigrants from County Tyrone. While our first subject, William Hamilton, fought in the American Civil War, the real purpose of these posts is to explore the broader experience of emigration and diaspora. As I’ve learned more and more about these family members who ended up in different corners of the world, some common themes emerged regarding poverty, conflict, citizenship, and how 19th century Irish immigrants and their communities sought to carve out new places for themselves and subsequent generations. The stories that emerged aren’t always pretty, and their endings sometimes tragic, but diasporas are, at their core, driven by dislocation, separation, and trauma.

The muffled beat of drums amid the patter of rain roused a motley crew of Federal troops from their slumber within their two-man pup tents. It was three a.m. on the morning of 27th May, 1862. The officers of the 25th New York Volunteer Infantry ordered their men to be ready to march in an hour’s time and instructed them they would be moving in light marching order, leaving behind all unnecessary items with the supply wagons, but carrying two days’ rations and 60 rounds of ammunition. The New Yorkers knew well what the orders meant–that a battle awaited them somewhere at the end of a muddy Virginia road.

[image error]Soldiers of a New York regiment photographed outside their encampment, ca 1861 (Library of Congress)

It had been a long, strange year for these Federal volunteers, most of whom had enlisted in New York City in May 1861. In the course of one trip around the Sun, they’d gone from a raucous–at times mutinous–band of undisciplined street roughs to a well-drilled regiment that had already weathered the siege of Yorktown and the various hazards of Virginia’s swampy Peninsula. Although they’d seen plenty of skirmishes in that time, the regiment had yet to engage in a large-scale action. Surely they’d long felt that the prospect was always looming somewhere in the near future. In the early morning hours of 27th May, they had just enough time to hastily prepare a few small fires and swig some coffee in a downpour as they contemplated the various paths that led them to the frontlines of the American Civil War and the horrors that might soon await them there.

The 25th New York, like most units recruited in Northern cities, contained a large number of Irishmen. By my estimation, about 40% of this regiment were born in Ireland, while many others were first generation Irish Americans. One of these Irish immigrants, Private William Hamilton of Company H, was my great-great-grandfather. I’ve been researching William’s life for over a decade, and, with the help of various digital records databases, genetic genealogy resources, a number of savvy relatives, genealogists, and friendly archivists, I’ve been able to piece together a fair amount about his life.

[image error](Catholic Parish Registers at the National Library of Ireland)

This is William Hamilton’s baptismal record from the Roman Catholic parish of Dungannon (note that “Guil” is an abbreviated form of “Guilhelmus,” a Latin form of “William”). It shows he was baptized on 28th July 1831, and names his parents as Robert Hamilton and Ann Cushnaghan. The townland, recorded here as “Drumai,” was likely Drumey, near the village of Newmills in Tullyniskan civil parish. While Hamiltons and Cushnihans appear in Drumey in the 1826 Tithe Applotment Book, by the time of the Griffith’s Valuation in 1851, they were gone (or at least, no longer recorded there). The Great Famine may have been a factor. It almost certainly influenced William’s decision to leave Ireland for America circa 1852. (1)

[image error]“Landing from an Emigrant Ship,” ca 1851 (New York Public Library)[image error](1855 New York State Census)

The 1855 New York State Census is the earliest US record I’ve found pertaining to William Hamilton. It shows William, a laborer, residing in a brick building in New York City’s 21st Ward with his wife Mary (née Campbell) and fourteen other Irish immigrant families. William told the census taker he was an un-naturalized alien who had been residing in the city for three years, whereas Mary, five years William’s senior, had been there for nine. At the time, there was no Ellis Island, nor even Castle Garden, through which immigrants were processed upon entry to the United States. They simply arrived in New York harbor, where legions of corrupt immigrant runners and other sordid figures were waiting to swindle the unprepared, sometimes before they even reached the docks. In 1855, Mary could read but not write, and William could neither read nor write. They had no children yet, and had likely just recently been married. I know from subsequent records that, like William, Mary hailed from County Tyrone. (2)

[image error](1860 United States Federal Census)[image error]1869 cartoon of a cartman and his somewhat overloaded horse and cart (City University of New York via Wikipedia)

Though starting out as an illiterate immigrant laborer, William clearly had aspirations to build a future for himself and his family in their adopted homeland. By the spring of 1860, he and Mary had moved to Manhattan’s Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood, where they were raising three young children–Catherine, William, and Mary Jane. William filed a naturalization petition in 1858, and by the 1860 Trow’s Directory, his occupation changed from that of laborer to “carman.” New York City’s carmen, or cartmen, drove standardized one-horse carts to haul a wide variety of goods, and sometimes passengers, across the city. Entering into this new trade was an important step for William, likely representing an upgrade in both pay and social standing. Though still considered unskilled labor, the job was highly regulated and required a municipal license, which itself required the applicant to be a naturalized US citizen. And becoming a cartman meant entry into a sort of proud fraternity within New York’s working classes. Cartmen banded together in trade associations to advance their mutual interests in the political sphere, met regularly, and marched together in city parades. New York’s cartmen formed a citywide “Cartmen’s Protective Society” in 1859 which quickly became a formidable political force, to the extent that Mayor Fernando Wood addressed the new organization directly at its mass meeting at Convention Hall in February 1860. (3)

[image error]“The American Fireman: Always Ready.” Currier & Ives, ca 1858 (Library of Congress)

William Hamilton wasn’t long at the cartman’s trade before he entered into another brotherhood of a kind–that of the volunteer firefighters. The family changed neighborhoods again, this time to Greenwich Village, and William Hamilton soon appeared on a roster of the Oceanus Engine Company, No. 11 compiled between 1861-1862. “Cartman” was then the most represented occupation in the company, with seven of them including William listed on the rolls, so it is quite possible that his associations with other cartmen influenced his decision to join. Known for their athletic prowess and boisterous demeanors, the volunteer firemen of New York captured the imaginations of period journalists and playwrights alike. They embodied the paradoxes of the working class b’hoy subculture–fiercely individualistic, yet tenaciously tribal, heroic and selfless, yet fun-loving and hard-drinking. While firemen were fearless in their responses to the numerous fires plaguing Manhattan at that time, they were also extremely competitive, and would famously brawl with members of rival companies over access to hydrants. Volunteer fire companies were also deeply entwined in the political life of the city, and were often employed by local politicians as muscle to intimidate voters and tip the scales of a primary or general election. The Oceanus Engine Company, headquartered at 99 Wooster Street, was captained by John “Jack” Wildey, a Tammany Hall loyalist, experienced fireman, and city coroner. Author Meg Groeling previously contributed a fascinating article about Wildey and his fellow firemen-in-arms on our site (see here). Firefighting also provided an introduction to martial training for many New Yorkers, and this may have been the case for William Hamilton. Like many other volunteer fire companies, Engine No. 11 hosted its own target company, the Wildey Guards, which practiced military drill and went on excursions to the countryside to compete in target shooting contests. (4)

[image error]Captain John “Jack” Wildey (Image via Meg Groeling)

At the outset of the Civil War, Jack Wildey joined Elmer Ellsworth’s famous Fire Zouaves, the 11th New York Infantry, where he was commissioned captain. Wildey recruited some ninety firemen for his new company, including a handful from Co. 11. William Hamilton was not one of them. He chose instead to join a different regiment–an outfit billed alternately as Kerrigan’s Rangers or the Union Rangers, but officially designated the 25th New York Volunteer Infantry. Why William chose to enlist, and decided upon this particular unit, is a matter for speculation. While patriotic motivations may have been involved, there could also have been an economic incentive; the Secession crisis caused a financial panic in New York City that undoubtedly impacted the cartmen’s trade. And William’s choice of Kerrigan’s Rangers was likely influenced by a number of factors, including the unit’s connections to friends, colleagues, and community. The Rangers included a number of firemen both among its officers and enlisted men, and likewise recruited many cartmen and residents of the neighborhoods in which William and his family lived prior to the war. In fact, William’s family’s home addresses before, during, and after the Civil War overlap with those of several members of this regiment. Additionally, Kerrigan’s Rangers actively recruited in popular places of entertainment where numerous b’hoys, firemen, and sporting types could be found both merry and well-lubricated. The regiment’s first two recruitment locations, for example, were the Bowery Theater and the concert saloon at 444 Broadway. And local politics could also have played a role–the regiment’s officers included prominent Democrats, affiliates of the Tammany and Mozart Hall political machines, and members of some of the city’s most notorious street gangs. (5)

In the next post, I intend to delve further into the formation of the 25th New York Infantry, its shady cadre of officers, and what William Hamilton’s experiences may have been as a working class Irish immigrant volunteer at the start of the Civil War.

References

(1) National Library of Ireland: Catholic Parish Registers; Griffiths Valuation; 1826 Tithe Applotment Book.

(2) 1855 New York State Census; Cray, Robert E., A Notable Bully; New York Emigrant Savings Bank Index Books.

(3) 1860 US Federal Census; New York, Naturalization Petitions; Hodges, Graham Russell Gao, New York City Cartmen, 1667-1850; “Cartmen’s Protective Association: Speech of His Honor Mayor Wood,” New York Times, 1 Mar 1860.

(4) Trow’s New York City Directory; Annual Report of the Chief Engineer of the Fire Department, 1862; Anbinder, Tyler, Five Points; Groeling, Meg, “Ellsworth’s Zouaves & the Gallant New York Fireman Who Saved the Colors of the 69th,” Irish in the American Civil War.

(5) New York Muster Rolls Abstracts; Spann, Edward K., Gotham at War; 1860 US Federal Census; Trow’s New York City Directory; “The Union Rangers,” New York Daily Tribune, 22 April 1861

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Published on May 19, 2022 23:41

“Through:” The Emigrant Hamiltons of Tyrone. Part 1- William Hamilton, Tyrone Emigrant to New York City Fireman